Ranking The Rockies: 4 Charlie Blackmon

We at BSN Denver are running a series where we rank how valuable each of the Colorado Rockies’ 51 players was to the team in 2015. Value was calculated by statistics, viewing, and how memorable each player’s contributions were. The rankings will be from last to first, you may view the full rankings (here)

Player: Charlie Blackmon

Stats: 157 G, 682 PA, .287 AVG, .347 OBP, .450 SLG, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 43 SB, 1o1 wRC+, UZR -7.3, WAR 2.1

Big Moment: June 3, the Colorado Rockies are at home taking on L.A., in what would be the season’s most exciting game. Coming just one night after the Rockies allowed the Dodgers to hit a go-ahead ninth-inning Grand Slam, the club rallied late in the ninth inning scoring three runs to walk off their division foe in front of the Denver fans. On the night, “Chuck Nazty” smacked four hits, two of which were doubles, he stole a bag and scored three times. Blackmon also reeled in three balls from his centerfield perch.

Season Recap: Though the left-handed hitting centerfielder did not maintain his All-Star status from 2014, he was improved. The 29-year-old brought way more consistency in 2015 than in 2014, he also added more speed to his game and refined his defensive prowess. Blackmon led the team in many stats this season including time played. He was the club’s true day-in-and-day-out fixture in the outfield.

What’s Ahead: Yesterday Blackmon and the Rockies came to an agreement on how much the outfielder will be paid for the 2016 season. He still has three years left of team control which makes him a desirable trade target. With the addition of Gerardo Parra and the likelihood of the newcomer playing some centerfield, Blackmon’s role looks like it will be decreased. This is unfortunate considering how well he has played and how well he fits into the Rockies mix. One would have to think that either Blackmon will be traded or he will be a major piece for the 2016 Rockies.